Lockheed Employing Augmented Reality For Spacecraft Manufacturing

2 August 2018
The Wall Street Journal reports that Lockheed Martin’s space division is employing augmented reality headsets and software in order to reduce the time needed for engineers to troubleshoot manufacturing and design issues and to reduce the rate of defects. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Vice President and Chief Information Officer Yvonne Hodge called the technology an exciting capability, adding that it is becoming a critical part of the division’s production process. Lockheed has begun augmented reality tests for its Orion space vehicle manufacturing. The headsets were able to reduce the preparation time for technicians to familiarize themselves with a manufacturing process drilling and inserting panels into Orion from eight hours to around 45 minutes. The process itself took two weeks, a significant reduction from its current six-week timeframe. (Image: By Kai Kowalewski - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link)More Info (Wall Street Journal)